News
Feb 23, 2022
Nationally recognized diversity advocate, hospitality industry veteran and former Choose Chicago sales professional W. “Bill” Williams passed away on Feb. 4. He was 82 years old.
Following more than 37 years of exceptional service to McCormick Place and the city of Chicago, Williams retired from Choose Chicago in February 2013 after holding numerous sales positions for the CVB, most recently serving as vice president, diversity sales. In this key role, he developed and covered the social, military, education/ethnic, religious and fraternal (SMERF) market.
A pioneering leader in furthering… more
Feb 21, 2022
The Las Vegas hospitality community became a little greener recently with the announcement from Resorts World Las Vegas, the Strip’s newest resort, that all three of its hotel brands—Las Vegas Hilton, Conrad Las Vegas and Crockfords Las Vegas, LXR Hotels & Resorts—have earned Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Gold certification, encompassing 3.9 million square feet of real estate.
Developed by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), LEED certification is considered the benchmark in the green building industry, providing building owners and operators with a framework… more
Feb 18, 2022
Events were never the “plan” for Carrie Abernathy, much like many of her colleagues. So how does someone initially on the path to become a psychologist end up completely changing direction and evolving into one of the most influential event professionals in the industry? It all boils down to passion.
While she was studying psychology at Virginia Tech and planning many social events for her dorm, a fellow student commented that she was so organized and passionate about logistics and events that she should do it professionally.
“I had a good laugh about that idea at first—and then I found out… more
Feb 18, 2022
Marc Benioff, CEO of Salesforce, grabbed everyone’s attention when he said he envisioned Dreamforce being an “always-on” type of event in the future—similar to a news channel like CNN. Asynchronous events "go live" at a specific date and time but offer a much longer event experience. Here are three benefits of delivering asynchronous event experiences:
Deliver evergreen and continuously evolving content: Imagine a session going live in the U.S. in Eastern Time and then people from other geographies discussing the learning in their respective time zones!
Event organizers will now have the… more
Feb 15, 2022
The rush to rebuild staff and grow leadership teams at event-related organizations continues in full force, as companies and CVBs anticipate a busier and more profitable 2022. Take a look!
Destination DC
Destination DC (DDC) appointed William Adams as its new director of convention sales, responsible for driving convention business and developing sales policies and programs to bring meetings of all sizes to Washington, D.C. Working alongside DDC’s vice president of convention sales and services, Melissa A. Riley, he will also oversee the CVB’s convention sales team.
Bringing more than 15… more
Feb 14, 2022
While the hotel industry will continue its progress toward recovery in 2022, its path will be uneven and potentially volatile, and full recovery is expected to be several years away, according to the American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA)’s 2022 State of the Hotel Industry Report.
“Hotels have faced enormous challenges over the past two years, and we are still a long way from full recovery,” said Chip Rogers, president and CEO of AHLA, the sole national association representing all segments of the U.S. lodging industry. “The uncertainty about the Omicron variant suggests just how… more
Feb 11, 2022
As the industry continues to emerge from the pandemic and increasingly hold in-person gatherings, ASM Global, featuring the largest portfolio of convention centers, arenas, stadiums and theaters in the world, will hold an ambitious, three-day virtual job fair to hire 1,000 employees at 100 of its venues.
The international, collaborative event, titled ASM Presents: The Next Great Opportunity, will take place online Feb. 15-17, with representation from venues in the U.S., Europe, Latin America and Asia-Pacific.
Aimed at addressing the global staffing shortages that have challenged the… more
Feb 10, 2022
Look around at many organizations these days, and you’ve probably noticed a fair share launching corporate programs dedicated to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI), an umbrella term for policies, programs, strategies and practices that promote the representation and participation of individuals of different ages, races and ethnicities, abilities and disabilities, genders, religions, cultures and sexual orientations. But to drive an authentic culture of inclusion and belonging, it takes a special person who can not only lead the charge but also remain passionately committed to creating… more
Feb 09, 2022
U.S. Travel Association leaders outlined a path forward during the organization’s annual State of the Industry Address Feb. 2, highlighting the progress made since March 2020, while emphasizing critical areas of importance to fully recover to pre-pandemic levels—including business travel and face-to-face events.
“The worst of the pandemic is truly behind us, but there is a lot of work ahead,” said U.S. Travel President and CEO Roger Dow, underscoring the $730 billion in cumulative travel spending losses since the pandemic began.
While the domestic leisure travel segment has largely… more
Feb 07, 2022
Caesars Entertainment is gearing up to bring a renowned casino brand to the heart of the Las Vegas Strip this year. Starting this spring, Bally’s Las Vegas will begin its transformation into Horseshoe Las Vegas, an iconic, historic brand originally created by gambling magnate Benny Binion more than 70 years ago.
The multimillion-dollar project, which will take place in stages, will include a renovated exterior, new entertainment and food and beverage options and a reimagined casino floor and public areas. In keeping with the classic sophistication the Horseshoe brand is known for, the… more
Partner Voices
Just when it seems like Las Vegas can’t get any bigger, brighter or more exciting for groups, MGM Resorts raises the bar again. The company continues to invest and innovate across its portfolio of Las Vegas resorts, with new attractions and upgraded experiences for attendees of all interests.
Remodeled Guest Rooms
MGM Grand is the largest single hotel in the world with over 5,000 guest rooms and an 850,000-square-foot conference center. It is home to the newly remodeled MGM Grand Studio Tower—700 reimagined guest rooms with a fun mid-century vibe. Nearby, the iconic New York-New York Las more